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Of all the principles that guide a newspaper, this is the one that quickens our pulse, heightens our excitement, and unleashes our adrenaline: The readers deserve a product as fast-paced — or nearly as fast-paced — as the world it documents.

That means bringing you the news as quickly as possible, with as many details as possible — details that are fresh, urgent and meaningful.

For years, that meant publishing “extra” editions, spurred by huge developments in a breaking story, often a trial or election.

Today, with our ambition matched by our technology, we can provide you, our readers, with articles more quickly than ever before.

And, as a result, we have launched a new feature for subscribers of our premium online edition, making front-page stories available at 10:30 p.m. the night before — an innovation that, in effect, gives you tomorrow's news today.

The feature debuted last week, and it has been well received, according to Express-News executives.

“Our goal is to provide our subscribers with the best, most timely coverage possible,” Publisher John McKeon said. “With the advent of our online edition, ExpressNews.com, we now have a way of providing more enhanced coverage and news content only to subscribers.”

This service represents our commitment to keep pace with technological innovations, allowing us to present the news in ways that were not possible before.

“A number of newspapers are now experimenting with premium sites for subscribers, including our fellow Hearst papers in Houston and San Francisco, as a way to augment our news coverage — and as a bridge to the digital future,” Editor Mike Leary said.

If this feature represents a bold step into the future, it is just one of the innovations the Express-News has been undertaking for months.

In the highly regarded “Twice Betrayed” series, for example, the powerful story of sexual abuse in the military was complemented by online videos, including poignant interviews with the victims, whose comments added resonance to what was already a compelling tale of abuse and deceit.

Other stories have received similar treatment in our online edition, forming a marriage of words and images that create a deeper, more vivid experience for our subscribers.

“In the weeks ahead, we plan to add other exclusives for our subscribers, such as e-books, and, yes, we intend to expand video offerings,” Leary said.

Our commitment is to all our readers, whether they subscribe to the printed version, the online edition or both; readers who subscribe only to the printed paper have seen — and will continue to see — improvements as well.

The enhancements in the online edition mirror improvements to the printed version, including the expanded Opinion and Business sections, which provide us the forums to explore critical issues in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Opinion has expanded online as well.

“We are now offering the latest work from 15 national columnists as part of the Express News.com package,” said Bruce Davidson, Editorial Page editor, “The limitations of newsprint have never allowed us to use every column from our cadre of writers. ExpressNews.com does, and we are giving our subscribers the benefits of that technology.”

And these benefits herald many more to come.

“We will continue to talk with our readers and add new products, both print and digital, to our portfolio to better serve their needs,” McKeon said.

Thanks to these offerings, the future does not seem so distant. It is upon us now. And it is exciting — for the Express-News, certainly, and, we hope, for our subscribers.